Victory for Food Blogger: Kraft Agrees to Take Yellow Dye Out of Kids’ Mac and Cheese

After nearly 350,000 people signed a food blogger’s petition calling on Kraft to remove artificial yellow dyes from its Macaroni and Cheese, the company has announced it will remove the dyes from three kinds of Mac and Cheese targeted to children.

Kraft already eliminated these dyes in Europe due to public concern about possible effects on children’s health.

Because of the United Kingdom’s stricter rules regarding food additives, Kraft uses natural beta carotene and paprika to make the food look almost identical to the US version that still uses dyes.

Author of the petition, Vani Hari says she was inspired by Missouri teenager Sarah Kavanagh’s victory in her quest to pressure the Gatorade company to stop using brominated vegetable oil in their sports drink. She also used a Change.org petition in her campaign.

Kraft said the petition had no bearing on its decision to eliminate the dyes from the kids’ version of the packaged meals.

Dyes have been shown to effect behavior and health in some sensitive children. According to CNN, “In Europe, foods with Yellow No. 5 are required to include a warning label that says, ‘This product may have adverse effect on activity and attention in children.'”